Thought Tweet #553 If trust is at the heart of meaningful business relationships, insight is in the brain.

The Thinking Behind The Tweet

Trust, based on a history of past experiences, is not enough to guarantee business relationships contain value. When insight is added to trust, business relationships can thrive.

How often do you step away from your day-to-day work to think about what Sales Managers want?

Sure, if you're a business leader then sales managers have disappointed you in the past...so you may find it tough to listen when they talk to you.

Sure, if you're a sales rep you've got a pretty good handle on every mistake Sales Managers are capable of making...so you are often on your guard when you talk with them.

Sure, if you're a controller or CFO...you've got some reservations too.

But - maybe it would be a good thing to know what sales managers want?

I've taken a shot at creating a sample list...perhaps, you could discuss these sorts of items with your Sales Manager? 

1. To set realistic goals for their Sales Departments
2. To achieve those goals, or perhaps, to fall just a tiny bit short of them
3. To deliver insightful and pertinent communications to their sales reps so the reps can use those communications to gain advantage with customers
4. To have the authority to treat sales reps as individuals [and as members of 'categories']
5. To understand a broad range of clients
6. To thoroughly know sales reps and others at the company have personal relationships with certain clients
7. To understand their industry and how their company is different from the rest of the pack
8. To deliver quality products and services - on time
9. Real support from Marketing Departments...especially: help segmenting target markets, help identifying the company's differential advantage, and help creating 'unified' company messages for clients
10. To hear the truth
11. To see more smiles than frowns

More than 50% of business people have a voice-mail message that says something like, "Thank you for calling. I am not here. Leave a message and I will call you back as soon as possible."

At least half those business people have that message on their phone system even though they know they will not return many phone calls. For example, they know they will not return phone calls when:

• They don't know the person.
• They think the person is trying to sell something.
• They think the person is trying to talk them into sponsoring or donating something.
• They think the person is too junior to talk to.
• They feel they are too busy with other work.

In other words, some business people don't return phone calls when the caller doesn't pass their What's In It For Me? test. 

The question is...

When they know they will not return all those types of calls, why do they use a voice-mail message that says they will?

Using blunt words, why do they provide voice-mail proof they are liars?

People who use a phone for business should not ignore this inconsistency or how other people will react to it.

Why?

Other people notice lies. While people tend to cut themselves slack...they almost always judge others more harshly. And, when they find other people acting inconsistently it is viewed as untrustworthy. It sours relationships and closes doors. 

While you may think otherwise, regardless - there is no long-term 'win' for you when you say one thing and do another...no reward - just risk; sooner or later that risk will catch up to you and visit you as a problem.

So, if you are using your phone 'inconsistently' you should correct that: there are a number of ways you can correct it.

The top 3 are:

1. Change your voice-mail message so it aligns with the action you know you will take after receiving messages on your phone.
2. Start returning phone calls so your actions align with the message you have on your voice mail.
3. Remove voice mail from your phone.

PS: Successful People Have More Time

PPS: There is an economic justification for 'consistency'. And, of course, there is an interpersonal justification.